Is Andy Farrell inching closer to his squad for the first Test against the Wallabies?
Watch ACT Brumbies v British & Irish Lions today to see if Andy Farrell’s team can bounce back from a disappointing performance against NSW Waratahs at the weekend.
– Date: Wednesday 9 July, 2025
– Kick-off time: 8.00pm AEST (local) / 11.00am BST
– FREE stream: RugbyPass TV (US)
– Other TV channels: Sky Sports/Now (UK and Ireland) / Stan Sport (Australia)
– Watch from anywhere: Try NordVPN 100% risk-free
On paper the ACT Brumbies are the strongest of the four Super Rugby franchises on the Lions’ itinerary, though – with many of their best players away with Joe Schmidt’s Australian national side – it’s hard to gauge how much resistance they’ll offer the tourists. That said, most commentators expected Andy Farrell’s side to steamroller the Waratahs on Saturday, only to see the Lions labour to a surprisingly tight 21-10 win.
With time (and fixtures) running out ahead of the Lions’ first game against the Wallabies on 19 July, Farrell and his coaching staff have named an extremely strong matchday 23 – indeed, it’s widely believed that their first Test team will look a lot like this.
Late arrival Blair Kinghorn makes his first start at full-back, alongside wings Tommy Freeman and James Lowe. There’s an all-Ireland pairing of Bundee Aki and Garry Ringrose in the centres, and a half-back partnership of Garry Ringrose and Finn Russell.
Ellis Genge, Dan Sheehan and Tadhg Furlong make up the front row, ahead of locks Joe McCarthy and captain Maro Itoje. Ollie Chessum, Tom Curry and Jack Conan are the back row.
The Lions have selected a 5-3 bench of Rónan Kelleher, Andrew Porter, Will Stuart, Josh van der Flier, Henry Pollock, Alex Mitchell, Marcus Smith and Mack Hansen. Owen Farrell, who arrived in Australia late last week, is the only player waiting for his first appearance of the tour.
Read on to find out everything you need to know to watch Brumbies v Lions live streams today, whether you’re looking to follow the game on TV or online. Scroll down to the end of the article for the line-ups.
Stream Brumbies v Lions for FREE in the US
A rugby fan in the United States? Then you’re in luck right now because all of the Lions’ warm-up matches are available for FREE via World Rugby’s RugbyPass TV service. Watch an ACT Brumbies v British & Irish Lions live stream from 6.00am ET/3.00am PT this morning.
The Lions’ three Test matches against the Wallabies – the first of which takes place on Saturday 19 July – will be available on CBS and subscription service Paramount+.
Don’t worry if you’re outside the US when the Lions take on the Brumbies today. If you have a quality VPN you can watch your usual TV services, even when you’re away from home. Keep reading to find out more…
Travelling overseas? Stream ACT Brumbies v Lions from anywhere
Away from home on vacation or business right now? That doesn’t mean you have to miss out on today’s Lions fixture.
Thanks to the wonders of a VPN (or Virtual Private Network), you can avoid the geo-restrictions that might prevent you watching your usual streaming services as you would back home. This isn’t witchcraft, simply the result of a VPN’s ability to change your IP address, making your smartphone, tablet or laptop appear to be in any country in the world. Good VPNs also bring the added benefit of improving your internet security when you’re online.
The tech experts at TechRadar test hundreds of VPNs, and right now they reckon NordVPN is the one worth shouting about.
EXCLUSIVE! NordVPN Mega Deal!
70% off, extra 4 months FREE, plus Amazon voucher
Rugby World readers can take advantage of a fantastic NordVPN deal as the Lions tour builds up to those eagerly anticipated Wallabies Tests. Not only do you get a 70% discount on two-year plans but you also get another four months thrown in for free. Even better, you’ll also receive an Amazon gift card, worth up to £50/$50.
Watch the Lions on Sky Sports in the UK and Ireland
Sky Sports is your destination for every match of this year’s Lions tour if you live in the UK or Ireland.
You can watch an ACT Brumbies v British & Irish Lions live stream on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Action. The game kicks off at 11.00am BST, with pre-match build-up from 10.00am.
Sky Sports subscribers can watch the game on iOS, Android, PlayStation, Xbox and the Sky Go app for desktop. The Sky website has all the information you need to get started.
Brumbies v Lions live streams in Australia
If you want to check out the opposition ahead of the Australia’s Test matches against the Lions, you need to head to Stan Sport. You can live stream ACT Brumbies v British & Irish Lions (without ads) on the platform, along with every other game of the Lions’ 2025 tour. Stan Sport costs $15/month on top of your usual Stan plan.
The match kicks off in Canberra at 8.00pm AEST this evening.
You won’t have to pay to watch those three Wallabies Tests, however, as they’ll be available for FREE on Nine and its 9Now streaming service.
Watch Brumbies v Lions in South Africa
As with every other game of the tour, you can watch ACT Brumbies v British & Irish Lions on SuperSport in South Africa. This match kicks off at 12.00pm SAST this lunchtime.
There are various SuperSport packages available, covering traditional TV on DStv and direct live streaming.
Follow the Lions in New Zealand
In New Zealand right now? Then subscription broadcaster Sky Sport NZ is the place you need to go. The Brumbies v Lions live stream gets underway at 10.00pm NZST tonight.
A subscription to streaming service Sky Sport Now costs $54.99 per month or $549.99 per year (equivalent to $45.83 per month). Day passes are also available for $29.99.
Brumbies v Lions line-ups and officials
ACT Brumbies:
Andy Muirhead, Ben O’Donnell, Ollie Sapsford, David Feliuai, Corey Toole, Declan Meredith, Ryan Lonergan (captain); Lington Ieli, Lachlan Lonergan, Rhys van Nek, Lachie Shaw, Cadeyrn Neville, Tom Hooper, Rory Scott, Tuaina Taii Tualima
Replacements:
Liam Bowron, Cameron Orr, Feao Fotuaika, Lachie Hooper, Luke Reimer, Harrison Goddard, Jack Debreczeni, Hudson Creighton
British & Irish Lions:
Blair Kinghorn, Tommy Freeman, Garry Ringrose, Bundee Aki, James Lowe, Finn Russell, Jamison Gibson-Park; Ellis Genge, Dan Sheehan, Tadhg Furlong, Maro Itoje (captain), Joe McCarthy, Ollie Chessum, Tom Curry, Jack Conan
Replacements:
Rónan Kelleher, Andrew Porter, Will Stuart, Josh van der Flier, Henry Pollock, Alex Mitchell, Marcus Smith, Mack Hansen
Pierre Brousset of France takes charge of today’s match, assisted by New Zealand’s Paul Williams and Georgia’s Nika Amashukeli. Marius van der Westhuizen of South Africa is the TMO.
Download the digital edition of Rugby World straight to your tablet or subscribe to the print edition to get the magazine delivered to your door.
Follow Rugby World on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter/X.
We recommend VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:
- Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service)
- Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad
We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.